Sadhus and pilgrims arrive for the Kumbh Mela that begins today; crores of people are expected over the next two months.

Millions of pilgrims from across the country as well as abroad have arrived in Allahabad as the Maha Kumbh Mela gets underway. On Monday thousands of pilgrims took a dip in the holy river Ganga, with up to 100 million more set to do so over the coming days.

Millions of Hindu pilgrims have arrived in the Indian city of Allahabad as the Kumbh Mela festival gets underway. The event takes place once every 12 years and is billed as the biggest gathering of humanity on Earth. More than 100 million visitors are expected to bathe in the Ganges over the next 55 days.